Modern commercial aircraft make extensive use of computer systems to control aircraft behavior, plan and execute flights, and display information to the pilots during flight operations. FIG. 1A illustrates an existing flight deck 40 having a forward instrument panel 46 and a control pedestal 45 configured in accordance with the prior art. Instruments 44 and display screens 43 are distributed over the forward instrument panel 46 and the control pedestal 45 for easy access by the pilots. The display screens 43 can include primary flight displays (PFDs) 41, an engine display 47, and three multi-function displays (MFDs) 49. The MFDs 49 can present additional aircraft flight information, including navigation displays 20, aircraft checklists, communication displays, and system status information.
Additional instrumentation is presented at a mode control panel (MCP) 11 positioned on a glare shield 42 of the flight deck 40, and at control and display units (CDUs) 13 positioned on the control pedestal 45. The MCP 11 can receive tactical pilot inputs for automatically controlling the target to which the aircraft is directed (e.g., inputs that are implemented when the pilot authorizes them, for example, by pressing a knob). The CDUs 13 can provide an input/output link to a flight management computer 12 that provides automatically implemented strategic targets of the flight (e.g., flight targets toward which the aircraft is directed in a manner that is initiated automatically when the aircraft achieves a particular altitude or other threshold condition, and which can form portions of a pre-determined flight plan).
When the aircraft is controlled automatically, either to targets received from the MCP 11 or the FMC 12, the instructions for controlling the aircraft often include a pre-defined mode (e.g., a pre-defined flight behavior during climb, descent, cruise, or maneuvers) and a target (e.g., an altitude target, waypoint, or directional heading). Accordingly, the instructions identify a target in space and a manner for achieving the target. The modes are typically displayed at the PFDs 41, while the planned route of the aircraft, including waypoint targets, is displayed at the navigation display 20. For example, referring now to FIG. 1B, the navigation display 20 can include a vertical situation display (VSD) which depicts altitude as a function of ground distance. An aircraft indicator 24 identifies the current location of the aircraft relative to the upcoming terrain 25. A flight path angle trend indicator 23 identifies the current trajectory of the aircraft. The display 20 can also include a current waypoint target 21a (identifying the waypoint toward which the aircraft is currently directed) and a next waypoint target 21b (identifying the next waypoint target to which the aircraft will be directed upon attaining the current waypoint target 21a). The display 20 can also include an MCP altitude window indicator 26 identifying the altitude dialed in by the pilot at the MCP 11 (FIG. 1A), and a constraint indicator 22 identifying an altitude constraint.
One characteristic of the foregoing arrangement is that the flight mode annunciators or identifiers are typically displayed at the primary flight display 41, while the route of the aircraft is displayed at the navigation display 20. Accordingly, the connection between particular modes by which the aircraft will be flown and the point at which the aircraft will begin flying in accordance with those modes may not be immediately apparent to the pilot and may require that the pilot take extra time to understand this relationship. Furthermore, the flight mode annunciators may have different meanings depending upon whether they correspond to targets received from the MCP 11, or targets received from the FMC 12. Still further meanings are possible depending on what phase of flight the aircraft is currently in (e.g., climb, descent, cruise, etc.). Instructions entered at the MCP 11 (e.g., via an MCP-based altitude knob) may also have different effects depending on the current state of the aircraft. Accordingly, it may take the pilot additional time to understand what the aircraft is currently doing, and/or what the aircraft will do when it changes from one mode to another.
The foregoing arrangement can suffer from additional drawbacks, all of which can increase the amount of time required by the pilot to understand current and upcoming aircraft behavior. For example, it may not be readily apparent to the pilot whether the aircraft will level off to meet an FMC-dictated altitude restriction, or continue along a current climb route in accordance with an MCP-dictated directive. In particular, it may not be readily apparent to the pilot where, when and how the aircraft will transition from an instruction originating from the MCP 11 to an instruction originating from the FMC 12, and vice versa.